place



(No Model.)

Y 2 Sheets-*Sheet ll'. J. H. PLACE. CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No; 356,079. Patented Jan. 11.', 1887.

klm.

(No Model.)` 2 sheets-sheet 2.

J. H.PLAGE.

CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINE.

No, 356,079, Patented Jan. 11, 188'7.f

Fig-7- i INVENTOR r1-EST. J.H.PLACE.

Mohn

N. VETERS. Phuxolilhugnpher, wnsninglnn, 11C.

UNrrn Sratrns JOHN H. PLACE, OF DECATUR, ILL., ASSIGNOR OF TVO-THIRDS TO DAVID R. ALEXANDER AND THOMAS P. MATTHEVS, 'BOTH SAME PLACE.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 356,079, dated January l1, 1887. y

Application filed April 15, 1886. Serial No. 199,002. (No model.)

T0 all whom mag/concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. PLACE, of the city of Decatur, county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

rlDhe object of my invention is to produce a circular-knitting machine on which may be knitted a two-thread fabric of double thickness, each thread forming independent wales alternately arranged, the connecting-threads of 'each set of wales being interknitted with the intervening wales, on which may be knitted ordinary single-thread fabric, on which may be knitted the said two-thread fabricand ordinary single-thread fabric combined in any desirable proportion, and on which may be knitted a complete stocking composed in part of the above-mentioned two-thread fabric and in part of ordinary single-thread fabric.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure l represents the cani-cylinder and needle-cylinder of my machine, one part of the cam-cylinder being thrown open to show its internal construction. Fig. 2 is an enlarged and distended representation of the inner surface of the product of-my machine, showing the single-thread fabric and the two-thread fabric conj ointly arranged. Fig. 3 is a representation of a series of needles arranged on a right plane, and provided with two threads in the relative position that the same threads would occupy in the machine immediately after one of the two threads had been knitted. Fig. 4 is a representation of a series of needles arranged on a right plane i and provided with two threads in the relative from above, the upper portion of the cam-cylinder being indicated as opened by dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a representation of the two kinds of needles used in my machine.

a' in Figs.k 2, 3, and 4 represents a thread used only in the two-thread portion of the fabric Shown in Fig. 2.

b represents a thread of which the singlethread portion ofthe fabric shown in Fig. 2 is composed, and which also enters into the coinposition of the two thread portion of said fabric.

a represents portions of threads a which float loosely while the single-thread fabric is being knitted of thread b.

c, Fig. 2, represents the wales formed on needles c.

d represents the wales formed on needles d.

f, Fig. l. shows my needle-cylinder, the only distinguishing peculiarity of which is its unusual lngth.

g represents theA upper portion of the camcylinder, which is composed of two semi-circumferential parts hinged together and to the lower portion of the cam-cylinder, each part being provided with recesses capable of receiving operatingcains.

g represents the lower portion of the camcylinder, Which is provided with one'set of cams in the relative position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

h represents a pair of interchangeable cams, which are adapted to be used on either side ofthe upper portion of the cam-cylinder.

z' in Fig. 1 represents by dotted lines the permanent location of the only cams in the lower portion of the cylinder.

k k represent downward extensions of the upper portion of the cain-cylinder,suficiently enlarged to encompass the lower part of the cylinder, and provided with recesses Z, that engage pins m when the cylinder is closed,and prevent vertical disarrangement in said cylindcr.

o represents a perforated lug on one part of casing g, and p p represent perforated lugs on the other part of the same, said lugs p p being arranged to pass on opposite sides of lug o and carry their perforations on a vertical line with the perforation insaid lugo when the cylinder is closed, in order that a securingpin may be passed through all the lugs, as indicated in Fig. 5.

g represents the guide for thread b, and 1 is an auxiliary for the saure. v

s is the guide for thread a, and t represents an auxiliary for the same.

u is the frame that carries guides g and r.

e is the vframe that carries guides s and t.

ICO

of the cylinder,and alternately With needlesc on the other side of the cylinder. This will be more readily understood by referring to the needles did not so project,the connecting-` threads of the'different sets of wales Would' Fig. 6, in Which dots :v indicate a line on one side of which are needles d only, and on the other side of which are needles d and c', alternately interposed. The position of the divis ion indicated by Idotted line x, is, however, a matter of choice, and may be varied according as it is desired to vary the proportionate areas of the single-thread fabric and the twothread fabric. The needles d are operated by cams i only. The needles c' are operated by cams h only. The location of camst' is permanent. Cams 71, may be moved from one side of the upper portion of the camfcylinder to the opposite side of theksame, their pivot-pins being fitted loosely to facilitate this result.

When the cams hare placed directly over cams t', a single-thread fabric may be knitted precisely the same as if all the needles were of one length and operated by one set of cams, as said needles Will all be operated in regular succession, without regard to their arrangement in sets. The cause of the successive action of all the needles, under the circumstances above stated, lies in the vertical coincidence of the two sets of cams and their consequent simultaneous action on their respective needles. Fig. l illustrates the relative position ofthe two' sets of needles when subjected to the simultaneous action of thetwo sets of cams.

By placing cams h on the side ot' the cylinder opposite to camsz' and guiding two threads to the needles in the manner indicated in Fig. 5, ordinary single-thread fabric may be knitted of thread b on the continuously-arranged needles d', and the two-thread fabric be knitted of both threads on the alternately-arranged needles d and c'. The Wales d are formed of thread b on needles d', the Wales c are formed of thread a on needles c', andthe connectingthreads of each set of wales are interknitted with the intervening wales, as indicated in Fig. 2.

Through the construction of the cam-cylinder and the'relative length of the needles the upper ends of said needles project above the cylinder When not in operation, as indicated in Figs. l and 5, and the thread that is knitted by one set is laid against the other set. If

pass to the inner surface of the fabric, where they would ioat loosely instead of being inter knitted, as shown.

In knitting a compound fabric,-as indicated Y in Fig. 2, the thread used only in the double portion is laid around the singlethread needles, and when said needles are operated passes to the inner surface of the fabric, Where it floats loosely, as shown at a in Fig. 2. To facilitate this operation, the needles d', on which the singlethread fabric is knitted, are formed as shown in Fig. 7, the customary depression underthe latches being dispensed with, in order that said latches may have a greater lateral projection when at rest, and more surely trip on the floating thread,which does not lie so close to the needles as do the ordinary loops.

To knit thetwothread fabric only, the needles c and d are alternately interposed on all sides of the cylinder.

To knit a complete stocking, the needles of one set are arranged consecutively on one side of the cylinder and alternately with the needles of the other set on the opposite side of the cylinder, the cams h are placed directly over cams z', thread b is fed from above through guides r and q, and the stocking is set up in any Well-known manner. As the knitting progresses all the needles are operated in regular succession, and an ordinary singlethread fabric is produced until the knee portion is approached, whenthe upper portion of the cam-cylinder is opened, the cams lr changed to the opposite side of the upper portion of the cylinder, and said cylinder again closed.`

Thread a is then fed upward through comb w, and carried to the needles by guidest and s, and the front portion of the knee is knitted double thickness with threads c and Zi, while the rear portion of the knee is knitted single thickness with thread b. The canist are next placed over cams i, thread a is dispensed with, and the stocking is completed down to the heel. Up to this time the motion of the caincyli'nder has been continuous rotary; but when the heel portion is reached the said cylinder is given a reciprot-ating rotation until the heel is com pleted, when the foot portion is knitted With a continuous rotation of the cam-cylinder in any well-known manner. as above stated, the floating threads corresponding with threads a in Fig. 2 would lie around the rear portion of the knee, and be IOO VvTith a stocking knitted IIO finally cut away as the stocking Was conipleted.

Cams h and i are of a kind'to permit thecylinder to bereciprocatingly operated.

Guide t permits the. operator to keep constant Watch over the operation of the machine by leaving the interior of the cylinder comparatively unobstructed.

The shown construction and arrangement of the cams andneedles are considered preferable; but it is obvious that the short needles may be arranged continuously on oneside of the cylinder, and alternately with the long needles on the other side, and that the upper portion of the cam-cylinder may be integral, While the lower portion is divisible, these changes in structure being considered undesirable modifications of the generalprinciple of my machine.

As a summary of the specitcation,it may be IIS -of the cylinder.

- one set of cams in a permanent position.

stated thatin order to knit a complete stocking. with a -reenforced knee portion of the structure specified it is necessary that the needle-cylinder be provided with two lengths of needles, one length being arranged continuously on one side of 'the cylinder, and alternately with 'the other length on the otherside The cani-cylinder must be in three parts,one of which is circumferential and the other two of which are semi-circumferential, conj unctive, and separable. The circumferential part ol' the cam-cylinder must have The semicircumferentialparts of the cani-cylinder must each have a recess for cams, and must have in common one set of interchangeable cams. rlhe cams must be of a form to permit reciprocating` motion in their cylinder,and the needles must be adjusted to stand above the cylinder when at rest.

In knitting a compound fabric, as indicated in Fig. 2, the cam construction that enables the cam-cylinder to be reciprocatingly operated is not essential.

The needles used in knitting the two-thread fabric may be arranged in alternately-interposed pairs, or one long needle may be interposed between two pairs of short needles, and vice versa; but it is considered preferable in knitting a stocking-knee to arrange them in the singly-interposed manner shown, in order that the outer surface ot' the re-enforced portion may be more nearly identical in appearance with the other parts of the stockinglcg.

I do not herein lay claim to either the twothread re-enforcing fabric or to the complete stocking, the former being the subject-matter of my application No. 158,974,1iled March 16, 1885, and the latter being the subject-inatter of my application No. 199,005, filed April 15, 1886. l

I claim- 1. A knitting-machine consisting in a needle-cylinder, as f, having needles, as c d, of different lengths, alternately interposed and projecting above the cylinder when at rest, and a three-part cam-cylinder composed of one circumferential band, as g', and two con- `joining and separable semi circumferential bands, as g, thc circumferential band having one permanently-positioned set of cams, and the semi-circuinierential bands having each a cam-recess, and possessing in common a set of interchangeable cams, substantially as described.

2. A knitting-machine consisting in a needle-cylinder, as f, having needles, asc d, of different lengths, alternately interposed and projecting above the cylinder when at rest, a three-part cani-cylinder composed of one circumferential band, as g', and two conjoining and separable semi-circumferential bands, as g, the circumferential band having one permanently-positioned set of cams, and the semicircumferential bands having each a cam-re cess, and possessing in common a set of interchangeable ca1ns,a thread guide, as q 1',adapted to receive a thread from above, and a threadguide, as s t, adapted to receive a thread from below through the cylinder, substantially as described. n

In testimony whereof I sign my naine in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN H. PLAGE.

Attest:

C. C. CLARK, J. L. Booirrr. 

